The pilot attempted a touch-and-go landing on a snow-covered backcountry airstrip near Johnsondale, California, in the tailwheel-equipped Cessna 150.
The snow was deeper than he anticipated and the ground beneath the snow softer than expected.
During the landing, the main wheels dug in and the airplane nosed over.
The vertical stabilizer and rudder were substantially damaged.
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the airplane while landing on a snow-covered unimproved runway.
To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.
This December 2021 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I fly MWC Microlight Weight Shift Controll and known here in South Afica as Trikes and also LSA . On every fly out there is always a ding bat or 2 that has to have the urge to go and try and land where it is in my opinion just bluddy stupid and not needed. Sometimes they get away with it for years and then one day it bites, causing unnessecary damge and death. I have witnessed this personnaly. The futher reprocussions are that the whole trip is screwed up for everyone, ground crew included futhermore it gives aviation just another bad badge
Thirty inch tundra tires might’ve made a difference in the outcome…
Maybe.? But Sierra airports can get 3-4 ft of new snow overnight.
30 inch tires would probably make it stop more quickly, trying to ‘plow’ all that snow.!!
Well, no one except a pilot flying skis … 🙂
Yes, that might be ok. But what if there is 10 ft of new powder on the ground….which happens in the Sierras ? It would be up to the rudder in snow.
I have never seen any CA aircraft with skis….I have seen some with floats….CA has a lot of lakes.
Well….he didn’t actually lose control. It just stopped very quickly and nosed over..!!
No-one in their right mind tries to land on a snow covered runway, that hasn’t been plowed.!!
A number of the runways in the Sierra-Nevada mountains are closed for the ‘winter’ season, with some areas getting 50+ feet of snow accumulation.
So, more stupid pilot tricks.!! [ and an engine tear-down, plus other damage.!!]